Middle Time Baby Syndrome
by JunoInferno
Summary: The Doctor and Donna's middle child makes a wish to get bigger... and gets it. Complications ensue.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who, the Doctor, Donna or any ginger Time Babies. I request that owner of said Time Babies please put them on the show post haste. Anyway. this is part of the Regarding Mrs Smith universe and is intended to just be a fun story with a plot. Hopefully you'll enjoy it. Let me know what you think and happy reading!

* * *

Chloe Smith-Noble was beyond excited.

Being the second Time Baby was not always so easy because she had to follow Zara. She wanted to be just like her sister, but Zara was always way ahead of her. She had even gone to school this year. Chloe had loved it at first because it meant hours alone with Mummy and Daddy, but as soon as Geoffrey got there, that was over. Geoffrey got all the attention because "New babies need lots of love from their mummies" which she was sick of hearing. Then as soon as Zara came in from school, they wanted to know what she had been up to.

It was all changing, though. Today, they were taking her to Zara's school for a visit because she would be going in the autumn when they weren't travelling. Then on Saturday, she would be three, just one more year and she would catch up to Zara.

"I'm going to school! I'm going to school!," Chloe sang, skipping down the street.

Donna pushed the double pushchair up the road. "Chloe, don't run off. Hold Daddy's hand."

The Doctor held his hand out for Chloe. He looked to Donna. "What is it these children of yours enjoy about school?"

"They like making friends," said Donna. "They need that. Otherwise they'll have to use their time machines to pick up friends."

"Oi!," said the Doctor.

"Big girls go to school!," Chloe added.

"Yes, they do," Donna confirmed.

They walked up to the brick building that housed Zara's school. A woman let them in and they walked past the rooms. Each had colorful doors and windows that showed the inside.

Chloe got on her tiptoes to look over into Zara's classroom. It had everything! Toys, games, paints and crayons. Zara was directing a construction project.

"What's she building?," asked Donna, watching as children puttered around with blocks and Legos.

"I think she's making the skyline of New New York," said the Doctor.

"Oh, yeah," said Donna.

A woman appeared. "Doctor Smith, Mrs. Smith."

"Oh, hello, Mrs. Lawrence," said Donna.

"This must be Geoffrey," said Mrs. Lawrence.

"Yes, it is and this is our Chloe," said Donna, pulling the girl over.

Chloe stood tall and smiled at the lady. She was ready for this.

"Hello, Chloe," said Mrs. Lawrence. "Will she be joining us next year?"

"Yes," said Donna. She looked sideways at the Doctor. "Isn't that what you wanted to discuss?"

"Oh, no. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. Of course we would love to have Chloe next year. It's always our policy to accept the siblings of students."

Chloe frowned. She had been thinking up things all morning to prove she was clever. Zara always had lots of them.

"It was Zara's education I wanted to discuss," said Mrs. Lawrence.

"Oh?," asked the Doctor.

"We all love Zara here and she's a pleasure to be around, but..." she motioned at the window.

"Is it the architecture of the senate-house? I told her it wasn't that art deco," said the Doctor.

"No, not at all," said Mrs. Lawrence, never knowing what the Doctor meant. Most of the staff at the nursery school had decided he was a bit touched, a notion Donna had done nothing to dissuade. "I just wonder if Zara is best served by coming next year rather than moving on to Reception at the least."

"Reception?," asked Donna. "Skipping a whole year?"

"Yes," said Mrs. Lawrence. "We could put her with the fours in summer term and she could start at primary school in the autumn."

"Isn't it a bit late to get a place, though?," asked Donna.

"We have to get a place?," asked the Doctor in confusion.

"Yes," said Donna.

"I've spoken to the admissions offices at several schools and explained Zara's situation-"

"My husband's travel schedule makes it difficult," said Donna. "I don't want to split up the family. I need a school that understands that."

"Mrs. Smith, frankly, any of the schools I've spoken with would be happy to have Zara under any terms you dictate."

"It's almost offer day," said Donna.

"Offer day?," asked the Doctor.

"Yes, offer day," said Donna.

"Was there some sort of pamphlet I was supposed to get about these things?," asked the Doctor.

"I have some prospectuses in my office. I'll fetch them for you."

Mrs. Lawrence left. Donna turned to the Doctor.

"What do you think?," she asked.

"I never liked this school idea."

Donna rolled her eyes. "You know we have to keep letting her be around other children, right?"

"How long do we have to do that?! Donna, she's just going to outsmart the children at Reception, then, I don't know what do you have after Reception?"

"The point is that she interacts with them. Maybe if we let her skip a year they'll have a chance. She's just sort of running them right now," said Donna motioning at the scene through the window.

"You run me," the Doctor observed.

"I suppose we could try letting her be with the fours, see what that's like."

"Mummy?," asked Chloe.

"Yes, Chloe?"

"What about me?"

Donna smiled. "Well, you'll be going here next year! I bet we could even get you in with Zara's teacher, Miss Reddy! She is very nice. Isn't she, Doctor?"

The Doctor nodded. "Of course she is, even if she does have conventional views on gravity."

"But Zara won't be here," said Chloe.

"Well, no, she might have moved on to a school for older children," said Donna.

"Why can't I go there?"

"You won't be old enough."

"When will I be old enough?"

"Well, that all depends, sweetheart."

"But I want to be like Zara!"

"But you're Chloe," said the Doctor. "Isn't that wonderful?"

"No!," Chloe shouted.

"No?," asked the Doctor.

"I'm almost three! I want to be a big girl!"

"Well, of course you will be," said Donna. "All in good time."

Chloe looked at the Doctor. "Wibbly wobbly time?"

"Uh, in this case, since it's your own personal time, actually, no. Your time is running for you in a straight linear progression."

"Stupid linear progression," said Chloe.

* * *

They had collected Zara and were off to lunch now. Zara had ordered in Japanese, once again showing how clever she was to Chloe's consternation. Daddy was talking to her and Mummy was feeding the baby.

"Miss Reddy said they were going to put my painting in the hallway," said Zara.

"That's wonderful, sweetheart," said Donna.

"Can we put it up in the TARDIS when it's done?," asked Zara.

"Of course," said the Doctor. "The Old Girl will love it. Bet she puts it up in the art gallery, right next to the Vermeer."

Chloe picked at her food. She hated art. She could never get it quite the way she wanted it and Zara always did. She had to find a way to steer the conversation back towards her. Subtly.

"I'm going to be three!," she shouted. People at the next table turned.

The Doctor looked over at her. "Yes?"

Donna shot him a look and turned back to Chloe. "Yes, it's very exciting, isn't it?"

"What about my party?," she asked.

"Well, most of the family will be there. Uncle Ianto, Uncle Jack..."

"Auntie Martha?"

Donna nodded. "Of course, she'd never miss her god-daughter's birthday."

"Rory?"

"He's your godfather, isn't he?"

Zara frowned. "Does that mean Melody is coming?"

"Don't start with that, Zara. We already discussed it." Donna put up a finger. "No name calling."

"What about my cake?," asked Chloe.

Donna turned back. "Well, I don't want to spoil the surprise, but I will tell you it's pink."

"Has it got bananas?," asked the Doctor.

"I'm going to be three!," said Chloe. She looked at Zara. "I've almost caught up to you!"

Zara frowned. "No, you haven't."

"Yes, I have!"

"No, you haven't."

"You're four. I'll be three. Four minus three is one, I just need one more birthday!"

"I'll be five before you're four."

"What?," asked Chloe. She looked at the Doctor.

"Well, see time is a funny thing-" the Doctor started.

"Chloe, Zara's older than you," said Donna. "That's why she's your big sister. She'll always be older than you and you'll always be older than Geoffrey. Understand?"

Chloe understood. Chloe understood she was playing in a rigged game.

* * *

Donna was in the sitting room. Esther laid in the sun by the window as she played with Geoffrey.

"You're such a good boy!," Donna said as Geoffrey handed her a ball. "Ever so clever, that's what you are! Yes!"

Donna glanced over as Geoffrey giggled. Chloe was sitting by the wall.

"Chloe, sweetheart, do you want to play with us?"

"I'm not a baby!," she protested. "I don't want to play baby games!"

"Of course you're not," said Donna. "Did you want to watch some telly? What about a film?"

"No," she grumbled.

"You just want to sit and look at the wall?"

"I'm thinking!"

The Doctor entered.

"Does Chloe seem alright to you?," Donna asked the Doctor.

The Doctor turned to see her at the wall.

"Seems fine," said the Doctor.

"She's not fine! She's staring at the wall!," Donna hissed. "I don't get it, she was so excited this morning."

"I suppose she's just pondering the mysteries of the universe," said the Doctor.

"Pondering the mysteries of the universe? Tell me, did you do that a lot growing up?"

"Not that I can remember..."

Donna looked back. "You don't suppose it's the middle child thing, do you?"

"What middle child thing?"

"You know, being a middle child."

"What about it?"

Donna looked back. "Being in the middle."

"It's in the center?," the Doctor asked.

"You don't know what I'm talking about?"

The Doctor ran his right hand through his hair. "You keep tossing out all these terms at me, Donna! Place, offer day, middle child, Elmo! I've never raised a child with all these customs, I haven't got a clue and frankly if there is no official literature as you claim, I don't know how I'm meant to keep up!"

Donna pulled the Doctor farther away, leaving Geoffrey on the rug. She was going to have to explain this whole thing. "Basically, there's Zara, right? And Zara's always been there, she had all sorts of time alone with us and she gets to do everything first. Not to mention..."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "Not to mention what?"

"She's basically us, you know, loud..." The Doctor shrugged in agreement, "...and Chloe is much quieter than that. Then there's Geoffrey and he's the baby and the first boy, so we always have to give him our attention. Then there's Chloe."

"What about her?"

Donna was about to scream. "Call yourself a genius, do you? She feels left out because it's always about Zara or Geoffrey."

"Donna, that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. It is not always about Zara or Geoffrey."

"Yes, sometimes it's about you saving the Earth or me saving the universe. Do you not see how that might make her crave a little attention?"

"We're not giving her enough attention?"

"Yes, seeing as how it's her birthday tomorrow, don't you think we ought to give her a little extra?"

"And how do I do that?"

"I don't know. Take her to the park."

"To the park?"

"Yes, get an ice cream or something, it doesn't matter so long as she's the only one going."

The Doctor approached carefully. "Chloe, want to go to the park with me?"

She looked up skeptically.

"Just us," said the Doctor.

* * *

The Doctor walked hand in hand with Chloe down to the park. She was beaming from being all alone with the Doctor.

"So, Chloe-oe-oe-, what did you want to do first? The swings or the seesaw or the merry go round or..." The Doctor sniffed. "What is that?"

"What is what, Daddy?"

"I thought I could smell someone operating a biomolecular progression matrix, but that technology isn't even legal in this galaxy." He took out the sonic screwdriver and it beeped insistently. "Oh, that's not good at all."

"What, Daddy?"

"Here, Chloe, I need you to stay right here," he said placing her in the sandbox.

"But I don't like the sandbox!"

"Chloe, no arguing. I can't have you getting too close to it. Your mother would kill me." He placed her inside. "Don't move!"

Chloe watched as the Doctor went following the trail. She sat down sadly. It had seemed so good when he had offered to take her out, like she was finally getting to do something.

"Is that your daddy?"

Chloe looked up to see a woman with bright green eyes and long black hair.

"Yes," said Chloe.

"What's he looking for?"

"I don't know."

"You seem sad."

Chloe sighed. "I'm going to be three and I need to be four."

"Well, that's not right, is it?" The woman sat down and took out a purple stone. She held it in her hand. "Here."

"Well, this is magic. All you do is blow on it and make your wish. Then you can be as big as you want."

"I can be bigger than Zara?"

"Just blow and make your wish."

Chloe summoned together her resolve. She would be bigger than Zara. She closed her eyes and blew.

"Funny, the trail went cold," said the Doctor, standing back in front of the sandbox. Chloe opened her eyes to realize the woman was gone. "Sort of device the Pantheon of Discord would use."

"The what?"

"Oh, you know, the Trickster and his Brigade. Auntie Sarah Jane's had some problems with them, not to mention Mummy and Zara." The Doctor sat down. "I don't understand, though. They're usually into time energy and I don't see any disruptions, not even a tiny one."

Chloe shrugged.

"Oh, well, it ought to show itself later. It usually does," said the Doctor. He looked back at Chloe. "You know you're special, don't you?"

"Why?"

"Why? Because you're my only Chloe."

"I want to be older."

"Oh, that will all come. I know it all seems so far away back where you are, back at the very beginning, but it all comes someday. You should enjoy your very last day of being two because you are never going to be two again."

* * *

Donna was feeling pretty good by the morning of Chloe's party. By both accounts, the outing had gone very well and Chloe was in a good mood the rest of the evening. After she went to bed, Donna and the Doctor set about preparing the party bags and decorating for the next day. Everything was coming together.

Donna walked into Chloe's room. "Alright, sweetheart, time to wake up! It's a very special day-"

Donna looked in the bed to see a leggy redhead under Chloe's duvet.

"Who the hell are you?!," she shouted.

The redhead stirred. "What, Mummy?"

"Doctor!," Donna shouted. She turned. "Where is my daughter?"

"What?"

"Look, I've dealt with Time Baby kidnappers before and you, missy, you are going to pay for this!"

"But, Mummy-"

The Doctor rushed in. He looked from the leggy redhead to Donna.

"Someone's taken Chloe!"

"Well..."

"Doctor!"

"It's just... I don't think anybody has."

"How can you say that? There's some woman in her bed and I don't even see her!"

"Daddy..." said the leggy redhead, sounding scared.

"Donna, that is Chloe."

"What?" She looked back at her. Donna realized that the woman was freakishly tall like the Doctor, did have Chloe's eyes and hair as well as some of Donna's other... assets. She turned back to the Doctor. "What did you do?! Did you take her out in the TARDIS or something? What? Was it those stupid statues? What happened?"

"Of course I didn't and I don't know!"

"Then how is that Chloe?!"

The Doctor looked back at the bed, trying to take in the fact that his two-year old had turned twenty in the night. "That is a really good question."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. Sorry it's been so long! I'm gearing up for training for another half marathon and have been doing a lot of work on my fundraising. Thank you so much for the reviews! Please let me know what you think and happy reading!

* * *

Chloe sat at the kitchen table picking at the clothes her mother had put her in. They belonged to Donna and they were so grown-up. Not even any of her Mummy's pretty clothes.

She looked up. "You said for my birthday I could wear a princess dress."

Donna sighed. "It doesn't fit right now."

"I don't like this jumper," said Chloe.

"Sweetheart, please don't," said Donna. "I know it's awful."

The Doctor looked up. "I bought you that jumper."

"I mean, it's lovely, just-"

"You said you liked it!," the Doctor said accusingly.

Donna motioned towards Chloe. "Could we get back to the issue at hand?"

"Right..." said the Doctor as he finished with the sonic screwdriver. "See, she has the body of an adult, but mentally she's still two," said the Doctor,

Chloe huffed. "I'm three!"

"We'll have to cancel the party," said Donna. "I'll just say she's ill or something."

"You can't cancel my party!," Chloe shouted.

"Oi!," said Donna. "I won't have any more of your lip, madame!"

"It's not fair! It's my birthday!" Chloe stomped her feet and pounded the table with her fists.

"Chloe, Chloe-oe-oe," said the Doctor, "why don't you go in Daddy's wardrobe in the TARDIS and see if there are any princess clothes there?"

Chloe took that grudgingly and stomped towards the TARDIS.

"Princess clothes in the TARDIS?," Donna asked tilting her head.

"Well, it ought to distract her. Blimey, she looks like you."

Donna shook her head. "Are you kidding me? She's a bloody swimsuit model!"

The Doctor's jaw dropped. "Donna! I would hope we can set her aspirations a bit higher!"

"With your height, she looks like a swimsuit model, that's all I'm saying."

The Doctor didn't like where this was going. "Could we change the subject?"

"Yes, we can change it back to how you're going to fix her."

"Well, first I would need to understand the mechanics by which that happened."

"Okay, well, do that," said Donna. "Go do something Time Lordy and spout a lot of babble and sort it!"

Zara ran in. "Nobody woke me."

Donna sighed. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. It's sort of a busy morning."

"I'll go to the clinic, take some samples," said the Doctor. "Maybe by analyzing them I can get to the root of the RNA acceleration."

The doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!," Chloe called.

"Oh, God," said Donna.

* * *

Once again, Amy and Rory stood outside the front door of the Doctor and Donna's London house. Amy was holding the oddly quiet Melody in the baby carrier as Rory hesitated at ringing the doorbell.

"We're hours early," said Rory.

"They won't care," said Amy. "I'm not standing on their front step all day!"

"The invitation said eleven-"

Amy groaned and pushed the doorbell. They heard a flurry of footsteps and the door flew open. Amy watched as a leggy ginger in a wedding dress threw her arms around her husband.

"Rory!," Chloe said in excitement. "Amy! Tart!"

"Uh, hi..." said Rory. He exchanged glances with Amy.

Chloe jumped up and down. "Did you bring me a present?"

"Uh, sorry, who are you?," asked Amy.

"I'm Chloe!"

Amy and Rory exchanged looks.

The Doctor rushed to the doorway, pulling Chloe away. "Amy, Rory, you're early."

"Well, you know, Melody woke up at about four so we figured, why wait?," said Amy.

"Can we play?," asked Chloe.

Rory pointed at Chloe. "Okay, who is she?"

"This is Chloe," said the Doctor.

"What? Like she's a relative of Donna's also called Chloe?," asked Rory. "I can see the family resemblance."

"No, more in the sense that this is in fact, Chloe," said the Doctor.

"Your Chloe?," asked Amy. She put her hand down, representing Chloe's height. "Little Chloe?"

"I'm not little, I'm a big girl!," Chloe said emphatically. She looked at Rory. "I'm three!"

"Uh, how did that happen?," Rory asked pointing at her.

"No idea," said the Doctor.

"Can you fix it?," asked Amy.

"Right, how do you think I should fix it?"

"I don't know, shrink ray? Do something Time Lordy."

"That's not actually a suggestion," said the Doctor.

"I don't want to be little!," said Chloe.

"Chloe?"

They turned to see Zara. Chloe jumped up and down and clapped her hands. "Ha, ha! I'm bigger than you! I'm bigger! I'm bigger!"

Zara looked to her father. "What did you do?!"

Amy snickered.

"I didn't do anything!," the Doctor said. "Why does everyone think I've done something?!"

"Past experience?," offered Rory.

"Why does she get to wear Mummy's dress?," asked Zara.

"It's my princess dress!," Chloe said, twirling around.

Donna entered carrying Geoffrey. "Oh, Amy, Rory, you've seen Chloe then?"

"Yes," said Rory. "Yes, we have."

"Why does she get to wear your dress?," asked Zara.

"Chloe, you cannot wear my wedding dress," said Donna.

"Daddy said to look for princess clothes!"

"Chloe..."

"It's my birthday! I'm a princess! Daddy said!," Chloe shouted and stamped her feet.

"Why do you even have that?," the Doctor asked, pointing at the dress.

Donna sighed. "It cost a small fortune, thank you. Not to mention the dry cleaning after it got soaked with the Thames and Zara saw it at Mum's and she- why am I explaining this? Why are you not fixing this?"

Amy handed the baby to Rory. "Chloe, I have some clothes left in the TARDIS, you can wear those, then your dad can fix you."

"I don't need fixed!," Chloe complained.

"Come on, you can wear my cowgirl boots," said Amy.

Chloe considered that. "Do you have anything sparkly?"

* * *

An hour later after tearing up the every available TARDIS wardrobe, Chloe was finally in the clinic. She had put on Amy's boots, tights, skirt and top, none of which sparkled and none of them pleased the Doctor, particularly the skirt. Chloe did manage to find a silk brocade coat in the Doctor's wardrobe and did seemed pleased by that.

The Doctor passed the rest of the time doing scans and taking samples.

"You are in so much trouble," Amy said with a smile.

"I'm going to sort this," said the Doctor.

"Yes, but when you do, you still have a big problem when Chloe and Zara grow up."

"What's that?"

"The boys beating down your door," Amy teased.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Oh, give it fifteen years or so. Maybe less."

"They're not allowed to date that soon."

Amy tilted her head. "Is that what Donna says?"

The Doctor paused. This was a point of disagreement. "We're still negotiating that."

"You are in trouble."

"Daddy, can we go to the park?," asked Chloe.

"Not right now, Chloe."

"But it's my birthday!"

"Not right now, Chloe," the Doctor repeated.

She stomped her feet. "I don't get my party! I don't get to go to the park! It's not fair!"

She stormed off.

Amy looked at the Doctor. "Should we follow her?"

"These results are interesting..." said the Doctor. "It's the biomolecular advancement device from the park. I lost its trail, someone must have used it on her."

"Well, how did they do that without you noticing?," asked Amy.

"I don't know..." said the Doctor.

Amy looked back at the doorway. "Where did she go?"

"What?"

"Chloe."

The Doctor shook his head. "I'm sure she just went to pout to Donna."

* * *

Chloe stomped out of the TARDIS and into the sitting room. Zara was playing with Esther, while Geoffrey and Melody played together in the play cot.

"Where's Mummy?," Chloe shouted. "I want cake!"

Zara looked at her. "We can't have your party."

"Why not?!"

"Because you look like that," said Zara.

"You're just mad you're not big," Chloe said sticking her tongue out.

"I don't want to be big," said Zara. "I don't want to be a grown up."

Chloe paused. "So, I'm like a grown up?"

"Yeah," said Zara.

Chloe grinned. "That means I can do whatever I want! Just like Mummy and Daddy!"

"Daddy's not a grown up," said Zara.

"Yes, he is! He's the biggest!"

Zara looked at her. "And what are you going to do?"

"I'm getting ice cream!"

Chloe hurried out the door.

* * *

Donna had been on the phone calling everyone for hours.

"No, no, nothing serious, just don't want anyone else to get ill."

Zara entered. "Mummy, Melody slapped Geoffrey and he smiled."

Rory groaned and covered his face. "It's the Leadworth Playgroup all over again. We got banned."

Donna covered the phone with her hand. "What do you mean she slapped him? How does a baby slap people?"

Zara shrugged.

Donna went back to the phone. "Yes, Veena, I know. Yes, Chloe is very upset. We'll just have to fix another date."

The Doctor and Amy walked in. Zara turned.

"Daddy, Melody slapped Geoffrey and he smiled."

The Doctor looked at Amy. "Your baby slaps people?"

"You think I have her figured out?"

"Hold on, Veena." Donna turned her attention back to the Doctor and Amy. "Where's Chloe?"

"She's not here?," asked the Doctor.

"You see this?," asked Donna. "This is middle child syndrome!"

"What is?"

"You don't know where she is!"

"She went for ice cream," said Zara.

"She what?," asked Donna. "She went outside?"

"You let her?," the Doctor asked Zara.

Zara shrugged. "She's big."

Donna went back to the phone. "Veena, I'll have to ring you back." She hung up the phone. "We have to find her. Now."

"Yes, Donna, I had thought of that," said the Doctor.

"She's out there looking like that!"

"Yeah," said Amy. "We really need to find her."

"With the mind of a two- three year old!," Donna exclaimed. "Come on!"

* * *

They made their way out with the babies in the pram, Zara and headed out just as Jack and Ianto were arriving.

"Hey, guys, where's the fire?," asked Jack.

The Doctor pointed his finger at Jack. "Do not flirt with any redheads! Or worse!"

"Chloe's missing," said Donna. "We have to go find her."

"I'm not following," said Ianto.

"How far could the little Time Baby have gone?," asked Jack.

Amy put her mobile in front of Jack and Ianto.

Jack let out a wolf whistle. "Who is gorgeous?"

"That's Chloe," Rory said with an eye roll.

"What? You could have warned me!," Jack shouted.

"You are a horrible godfather," said Amy.

"I've barely started!"

"It's not exactly been auspicious," said Ianto. "You've already slept with Geoffrey's future girlfriend."

"Did they just go off with Melody?." asked Rory.

Amy looked to see the Doctor and Donna's backs as they could be heard going back and forth as they walked down the road.

"Yeah, I think they did," said Amy. She patted Rory on the arm. "Don't worry. They'll bring her back. Come on, boys. We have to check every ice cream shop in ten miles."

Jack was still looking at the mobile. "Wow, she really looks like the two of them."

"Would you stop?!," Rory shouted.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. Sorry it's been a while. I've been sick and doing a fair bit of fundraising for charity. Here is the third chapter. Thanks for the reviews and reads and follows. I love hearing from you all. Please let me know what you think and happy reading!

* * *

Chloe stood outside the first ice cream shop she found and faced a startling truth.

It wasn't open yet.

The sign said it would open at noon.

She wished she knew what time it was. Daddy always did and now Zara did since she got that princess watch for Christmas!

Chloe stalked away. Surely somewhere was open for ice cream!

"Hey, red."

Chloe turned and looked. There was a big boy sitting on the corner with a mobile. All his other friends had mobiles pointed towards her as well.

"What? Me?"

"Are you doing anything?"

"I'm looking for an ice cream shop."

"It's the morning. They're not open yet. You're a looker, but you aren't very bright in the head, are you?"

"I am too!," Chloe protested. "I can be just as clever as Zara!"

Chloe marched off, ignoring the big boy as he whistled and his friends laughed.

* * *

"I don't want to be big," Zara announced.

Donna looked over at Zara as the Doctor carried her. "What? Why not?"

"It's rubbish," said Zara. "I don't want to be with the fours."

"Zara, you are four," said Donna. "Besides, it might be more fun for you."

"Why?"

Donna looked over. There was a closed ice cream shop and a group of boys. She nudged the Doctor on the arm.

"What?," he asked.

"Go talk to them."

"Why them?"

Donna rolled her eyes. "Trust me, they will have noticed her."

"What do you mean?"

"Just go ask them."

The Doctor walked over. He took out the psychic paper. "Hello, Detective Inspector John Smith-"

"We didn't do anything! That old lady's just cross at us about her garden! We don't know nothing about it!"

"Right..." the Doctor said frowning. He took out the mobile with the picture Amy had sent him. "I'm looking for this girl."

One of the other boys snickered. "Don't you think you're a little too old for her?"

"What?," the Doctor frowned. With the realization of what they were implying, he started stammering. "She's- she's my daughter! I'm trying to find her! Have you seen her?!"

"Yeah, she was here." The boy held up his mobile. "See?"

The Doctor was surprised to see more pictures of Chloe. Especially parts of her... "When did you take those?"

"An hour ago. She was waiting for the ice cream shop to open. She left."

Donna sighed. "She must have left. Come on, Doctor. We'll look for another ice cream shop or something sparkly."

"Yeah, just one thing," said the Doctor. He pulled out the sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the boy's mobile. It sparked and the boy dropped it on the pavement just before it became a smoking heap. "Allons-y."

* * *

"Next ice cream shop is right here," Ianto announced as they got out of the car.

"Can it be open yet?," asked Rory.

"I bet it opens for her," said Jack.

"Jack, just seriously, stop it!," said Rory. "It's creepy!"

"Is it my fault the Doctor and Donna are two very attractive people and when their DNA is combined, it's-"

"Shut up!," Rory shouted desperately.

"Wait, I think I just saw her!," said Amy, pointing down the road.

Chloe walked into the shop, not noticing her protectors down the street.

"We're not open-" the boy at the counter turned around and saw Chloe. His mouth hung open. "Uh, yeah. How can I help you?"

Chloe frowned. "You said you weren't open."

"We're open, we're open-" the boy said, knocking a container of ice cream scoops over and they clattered on the floor. "We are definitely open."

"Yea!," said Chloe. She leaned forward and pressed her head against the glass cases as the boy stared at her with huge eyes. "What do I want?"

"Hello, Chloe."

Chloe looked behind her.

"You're the lady from the park," Chloe said. "You made me big."

Ianto, Jack, Rory and Amy burst in to see the woman.

"Where's Chloe?," asked Amy.

"Chloe?"

"That ginger?," asked the boy. "This woman came in and she disappeared! Just bloody disappeared!"

Jack looked at the woman. "You had better start talking, lady."

* * *

Suddenly, Chloe was somewhere else. It was like the feeling of dreaming and then finding yourself awake. She was in a dark room.

"Hello."

Chloe turned to see a blonde. She was pointing some sort of scanner at Chloe.

"You. You have two hearts," said the blonde.

Chloe shrank away. Nobody was supposed to know that!

"No, no, it's okay," said the blonde. "See, I have two hearts."

"You do?," asked Chloe.

"Yeah."

Chloe frowned. No one else was supposed to have two hearts. Not on Earth, anyway. Just Daddy, Zara and Geoffrey.

The girl spoke. "I just haven't met anyone else with two hearts. That's all."

"Okay," said Chloe.

The girl frowned. "You don't talk much."

Chloe shrugged.

"Well," she said, "I'm Jenny. You?"

"Chloe."

"Chloe. I was just minding my own business. Well, not really. See, there was this planet and this little civil war and I tried to help a tiny bit and that woman caught me and now I've been trapped in here."

Chloe didn't follow any of that. "I was looking for ice cream. It's my birthday." She held up three fingers. "I'm this many."

Jenny frowned. "What's a birthday?"

"It's the day you're born."

"How were you born?"

"I don't know. Zara said something about gametes."

Jenny sat down. "Who's Zara?"

"She's my big sister."

"What's a sister?"

Chloe frowned back at Jenny. "You don't know? Everybody knows that."

"Well, I don't."

"We have the same Mummy and Daddy."

"Oh. I don't have a sister. Or a mummy." Jenny smiled. "I have a dad. He's somewhere. I've been looking for him. Well, a little. Not like all the time. There's just been a lot to do. A lot of running."

Chloe couldn't imagine that. "Don't you miss him?," asked Chloe.

"I don't know. I didn't know him that long, I guess."

There was a knock on the wall.

"Hello?," Jenny called.

"Jenny, is that you?"

"Sorry. Who are you?"

Chloe recognized the voice. Even though it was a voice she knew her mummy didn't particularly like, she knew she could trust her. "Tart!"

Jenny shot her a look.

"Chloe, is that you?," called River. "I'm here with Grant. Give us a moment."

"Who's Grant?," asked Jenny.

Chloe shrugged. An opening appeared in the wall. River was there with a man.

She put away what appeared to be a sonic screwdriver. "Right, Chloe, Jenny, I presume you were tricked into something by a witch as well?," she asked casually.

"There's no such thing as witches," said the man.

"Who are you?," asked Jenny. "How do you know us?"

River gave her a strange look. Then she turned to Chloe, giving her a thorough once over.

"Chloe, you're wearing my mother's boots."

"She said I could."

"Oh, God," said River.

"What?," asked the man, Grant.

"They're being pulled through time as well. This Jenny has never met either of us and this Chloe is only three."

"I'm a big girl now!," Chloe protested.

"She doesn't look three," Grant said.

"Were you looking that closely?," asked River. She turned to Grant. "Besides, I know this family much better than you. This is the day Chloe made a wish to become big and got it and now we're all trapped in some multi-dimensional prison that the Trickster's Brigade has made for us."

"I don't understand," said Jenny. "What have I got to do with any of this?"

"You're Jenny."

"So?"

River sighed. "The woman who gave you that name. Donna, right?"

"How did you know that?"

Chloe turned to Jenny. "That's my mummy."

River spoke gently. "Jenny, this is your sister, but you don't know that yet because you haven't met her since you've been taken from your time stream. You're going to be very important to them one day."

"What about me?," asked Chloe.

"Chloe, don't be silly. Of course you're important."

"Zara does everything first, though."

"You're the second eldest Time Baby. You, Zara and Geoffrey lead the others."

"What others?"

"What others do you think?"

Chloe wrinkled her nose. "Oh, no! Not more babies!"

"Then what am I doing here?," asked Grant.

"I have absolutely no idea," said River. "Who would have thought we'd need an economist?"

"You're oversimplifying my work."

"Who is he?," asked Chloe.

"This is Zara's fiance. Well, soon to be ex, really."

"I beg your pardon?," asked Grant. "What happened to the spoiler rule?"

"I don't think it applies," said River. "No one has ever mentioned any of this to me. I think we're going to forget everything once we're back in our own time streams."

"Why would Zara jilt me then?"

River scoffed. "I can think of a thousand reasons, but you jilt her. Still, not the strangest wedding this family has ever had. Jenny's might be in the running."

"What are you talking about?!," Jenny shouted.

"Oh, wait and see," said River.

"What makes you so important?," Grant snapped.

River was taken aback. "What?"

"You. What makes you so important to this family? After everything you've done to them, why do they keep going back to you? Why do they come when you call time after time?"

There was a long silence. "I don't know," said River.

The ground shook.

"What's happening?," asked Jenny.

"I think that witch got more than she bargained for. Come on," said River. "We haven't much time!"

* * *

"Daddy," said Zara tugging the Doctor's hand.

The Doctor looked up. The sky was going dark.

"Doctor, what's happening?," asked Donna, pulling the double pushchair in closer to her as Geoffrey and Melody fussed.

"Something's happened," said the Doctor. "Time is being rewritten."

"Where are the stars?," asked Zara. squeezing the Doctor's hand tightly.

Donna looked at the Doctor, suddenly in a panic. "Where are the stars?"

"I don't know," said the Doctor. He looked at Donna. "It's got something to do with Chloe. It has to."


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. Sorry it took so long to get this one out. Life is crazy. Thanks for the reads and reviews. Please let me know what you think and happy reading!

* * *

"The stars are going out, though," said Donna. She looked down at Zara who gazed up at her with concern. She took the little girl's hand and held her close as she looked back at her husband. "What does that mean? Is it the same as last time?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No. Time's gone wobbly."

"Time's gone wobbly!," Donna spat. "My daughter's missing and the universe appears to be ending and all you've got for me is time's gone wobbly?!"

The Doctor frowned. "Wibbly wobbly?"

"I am trying so hard not to slap you right now," said Donna.

As Donna moved to tend to the fussing babies in the pushchair, the Doctor's mobile rang.

"Amy! Yes! Have you found her?"

Donna looked back. "Have they got her?"

She watched as the Doctor's face became his customary flummoxed frown.

"Well, they have and they haven't..."

* * *

They ran to the ice cream shop. The people of London were in a panic as they rushed around. They walked in and spotted the woman.

The Doctor opened his mouth ready to do a speech worthy of the Oncoming Storm, but he heard a voice not his starting.

"Where is she?," Donna said to the woman, pushing Zara and the pushchair to one side. "Where is my daughter, what have you done to her and you had better not be eyeing the others!"

Jack held up a purple stone. "Got any idea what this is?"

The Doctor took the object in his hand and considered. "Ooh, what have we got here? Multi-phasic device with quantum dimensional properties and a transmat..." He let out a low whistle. "This must have taken you ages to put together."

Donna stuck herself between the Doctor and the woman as he admired her technological handiwork. "Are you complimenting her?" She turned back. "I want my daughter. Now."

"There's more than one time stream intersecting here," said the Doctor. He looked back up at the woman. "Who else have you got hidden in here?"

"Someone in there is disrupting the time streams," said Jack.

"What does that mean?," asked Rory.

"It means someone in there is critical to the time line and she's disrupting it." The Doctor turned back to the woman. "You went in expecting some slight change and you've gotten full on Armageddon, end of the universe. You can't control this, the only thing you can do is reverse it and send them all back home. Also, make Chloe three again because I am just not ready to deal with all of... the stuff. I just can't. Not yet. Not for a good long while. So, both of those things."

"I can reverse the aging," said the woman. "I can't get her out. The process has to be reversed from inside the device."

"From inside the device?," the Doctor spat.

"Does no one think these things through?," Rory asked in dismay.

"Daddy," said Zara.

"Not now, Zara. Daddy's trying to work out how to save the universe."

She grabbed his hand. The others watched as his head snapped back at her.

"What's going on?," asked Amy.

"Nothing," said the Doctor. Amy stared back at him, failing to notice that his and Zara's gaze fell on baby Melody. He turned back to Zara. "You can feel your sister in there?"

"What?," asked Donna. "Why can't you?"

"They're closer," said the Doctor. He passed the stone to Ianto. "Hold that."

The Doctor knelt down to Zara and put his hand on her temple.

"What's going on?," asked Rory. "Is this a mind meld?"

* * *

Inside the device, things were scarcely getting better.

Chloe stood quietly. River, Grant and Jenny were running around.

"I still don't understand what we're doing!," Grant protested.

River answered. "Easy! The transmat brought us in here, now time is collapsing around us. If we can reverse the transmat, we'll be back to our rightful places in our own time streams and whatever damage our absence has caused will be undone!"

"Whose absence is it?," asked Jenny.

River looked at Chloe. "I would bet on her." She paused. "Chloe, are you alright?"

Chloe couldn't help it. "I want to go home! I don't want to be big! I want Mummy and Daddy!"

"There, there..." said River. She took a breath and forced a smile. "You're going to be just fine. I just saw you all, you know?"

Chloe sniffled. "You did?"

"Yes, you all came to visit me at my house. We went to the Singing Towers and had a picnic. The whole family. So you see, everything is going to be just fine and you are going home to your mummy because I wouldn't want to face her if you didn't."

Chloe crumbled to the ground, grabbing her head.

"Chloe!," cried River, rushing to her side. "What's wrong?"

"There's stuff..." she sobbed. "There's so much stuff and I don't understand it."

"What's going on?," asked Jenny.

"The Doctor's trying to get a message to her, but her mind is still three. She doesn't get it all yet." River looked back at Chloe. "Chloe, I know it's hard but you have to try to tell us what to do. Your dad's trying to help us."

Chloe nodded. "Invert the coabulator?"

"What?," asked Grant.

"That's alright, I'm following it," said River. "Jenny, give me a hand."

The next few minutes were a blur. Chloe repeated things she didn't understand. River, Jenny and Grant then did things Chloe didn't understand.

When Chloe finally felt well enough to look up River was the only one left.

"Where did they go?"

"Back where they came from," said River. "We'll both be going back soon."

"You said she was my sister," said Chloe.

"She is and the way I remember it, you'll be meeting her again soon enough."

"Why doesn't my daddy know who you are?"

"Because he's a daft, silly man, of course," said River. "Also, he doesn't listen."

"Mummy says that."

River chuckled. "That's because she's brilliant."

Chloe looked up to see that River had gone. Now she was alone and hoped it wouldn't be for long.

* * *

They watched from inside the ice cream shop as the stone disappeared before them and light returned to the sky.

Donna looked to the Doctor."You said Chloe was in there."

"She was."

"But now it's disappeared, where is she?"

"I'm not getting any more temporal readings," offered Jack.

The Doctor turned to the woman.

"She should have returned to the point of interference."

"The park!," said the Doctor, grabbing Zara's hand. "Back where it all started."

Donna rushed out with them.

Rory turned to Amy. "Did she just take our baby again?"

"Like I said, they won't keep her." Amy looked at the woman. "And you, lady, what are we going to do with you?"

"I should have chosen you," said the woman.

"What?," asked Amy.

"The spoils belong to another."

"What spoils?," asked Amy, casting a sideways glance at her husband.

"Never mind her," said Jack. "We've got a nice spot for her in the Torchwood archives."

"Because we don't have enough rubbish down there," Ianto added.

* * *

The family rushed to the park, pushchair and all.

"I don't see her!," said Donna. "Are you sure she'll be here?"

"This is the point of initial interference, if the universe has rectified itself like it should have, she'll be back here." The Doctor looked around. "Chloe!," he called.

It was Zara who finally spotted her. "Chloe!"

Zara dashed towards the sandbox. Her parents were in hot pursuit with the pushchair as they neared it: Chloe, the real Chloe, the three year old, was in the box.

"Chloe, wake up!," said Zara.

"Chloe, it's alright," said the Doctor. "Mummy and Daddy are here."

He helped her up from the box. Amy's clothes were hanging off her now as she looked at them groggy eyed. "What happened?"

"Chloe, don't you remember anything?," asked Donna.

Chloe's mind was a fog. So much had happened. She was fairly certain of one thing.

"Is it my birthday?"

"Yes," said Donna, bringing Chloe against her to hold her tight. "Yes, it is your birthday."

* * *

They made their way back to the house. The Doctor watched as Donna fussed over Chloe and got her in her princess dress.

Chloe could remember what happened with River and the others. Whatever fog the disturbance in the time lines had caused in her memory had cleared. Since Chloe was still only three, this led to more confusion.

The Doctor watched her.

"Chloe, just a moment," said the Doctor.

"I'm sorry about the witch," Chloe said, looking down.

"Oh, don't worry about her. Uncle Jack is going to sort it all and store her somewhere in Torchwood, but you're alright and you've learned never to wish anything when offered, right?"

Chloe nodded.

The Doctor nodded back and kneeled in front of her. "Now, I think for a normal human being, the memories of this incident would be wiped away, but you are my daughter. I think you can remember what happened in that device."

She nodded again.

The Doctor sighed. "Chloe, you can't tell me about anyone you saw there. You can't tell anyone, not even them-"

"But tart! And we took her to the Singing Towers and-"

That sent ice through the Doctor's hearts. "Chloe, stop it!"

He said it with a seriousness that stopped Chloe cold.

"No matter what?," she asked. There was so much to tell.

"I know it's hard, I know, but you can't interfere with the time lines. No matter what. I'm sorry, but this is what we are." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a watch. "And this is for you."

Chloe looked. It was a sparkly Sleeping Beauty watch. "For me?"

"Of course for you, three is the age when all Time Lord children get their first watch." He fixed it around her wrist and kept speaking. "You're a Time Baby, maybe without the full exposure to the Time Vortex but conceived with the last energy of the metacrisis. You helped save millions of lives just by existing. You can do things no one else can. You helped save the universe today."

Chloe frowned. "What's conceived?"

The Doctor froze. "Right, well... let's not worry about that. At least not until next year, right?"

"Is this about the gametes?"

"Next year, Chloe."

Just then Donna entered. "You were supposed to bring her down!," she chided the Doctor. "Everyone's waiting!"

Chloe held her wrist up. "Look what Daddy gave me!"

Donna smiled broadly. "That's wonderful, Chloe! Hurry on downstairs so you can get to your party!"

Chloe beamed and hurried off. The Doctor moved to follow and Donna stopped him, placing a hand on his chest.

"I would guess that the watch has the same features as Zara's, namely the tracking."

"Yes."

"I know that this is a big Time Lord thing and all, to give your children a watch in their third year, but do you think you could give Geoffrey his before he gets tricked and kidnapped by someone?"

The Doctor nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

* * *

Downstairs, the party had managed to regroup. The guests had been rounded up again after being cancelled and now the party had begun. The house was full of children and their parents. Sylvia darted around, trying to make excuses for Donna's earlier odd messgaes. Wilf, Ianto and Jack organized games for the children as the Doctor and Donna came down with Chloe.

"Nerys!," said Donna as she watched her old frenemy haul in a triple pushchair with Rory's help.

"Oh, look, it's Nerys," said the Doctor. If he lived another nine hundred years, he would never understand these two.

"So glad that little Chloe's feeling better!," said Nerys. She handed an envelope to the little girl. "Here you are, sweetheart. Happy birthday!"

Donna frowned at the envelope. "Is that her present?"

"Yes."

"Is it another ten pound gift voucher?"

"Donna..." said the Doctor.

Donna turned back. "Ten pounds! Please tell me what you can get at Baby Gap with a tenner!," she hissed.

"I've brought my little nephew with me, I hope you don't mind."

"No," said Donna. "The more the merrier."

"I just thought that the budget might be a bit tight and all-"

"The budget is a bit more generous than you might think-"

"I just thought your husband was out of work."

The Doctor took offense now. "I'm not out of work! I've never worked! Well, just that one time, in the seventies. What a nightmare."

Donna smacked the Doctor's arm lightly to shut him up. That's when Chloe noticed a little boy step out from behind Nerys' skirt.

And he looked familiar.

"This is Grant, everyone. He's staying with me for the weekend," said Nerys.

"Hello, Grant," said Donna. "Chloe, why don't you be a good girl and go show Grant where we have the games and snacks?"

Chloe was silent as she pondered her responsibilities as a Time Lady. Daddy had said not to do anything to interfere with the time lines, no matter her foreknowledge.

There was still some Donna in there, though.

She was about to send Grant to partake in some juice when she caught him staring at Zara as she played Blind Man's Bluff with Uncle Jack and the other children. She grabbed him by the arm and gave him her most serious look.

"Stay away from my sister."

There was actually a lot of Donna in there.

"What?"

She repeated it with added seriousness. "Stay away from my sister."

Not knowing what was happening, getting a threatening look from a girl he just met, Grant simply answered, "Okay."

Satisfied, Chloe walked over to see her brother and Melody/Tart/River in the playpen.

"You watch it," Chloe said to the baby version of the woman she had met earlier.

"Chloe," said Rory. "What are you doing?"

Chloe looked up. "Nothing."

"Okay..." said Rory certain that nothing was the last thing that had happened.

"Chloe!"

Chloe turned around. "Auntie Martha!"

Martha swooped down and picked up Chloe, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "How is my favorite god-daughter?"

"I thought I was your only god-daughter."

"So?," Martha replied with a smile. "I heard you had a really exciting day so far. I also heard you can't date until you're forty. Your mum got it down from two hundred, she'll keep working."

Martha smiled. Chloe was quiet.

"What's wrong, Chloe?"

"I..." She looked at Martha. "Do you think I'll have more sisters?"

Martha glanced over at the Doctor and Donna fussing over the birthday cake as they walked from the kitchen to the dining room.

"Well, I'm not sure I should be saying this," said Martha, "but I wouldn't bet against it. You could also get more brothers, you know."

"I think sisters."

Donna walked back in. "Alright, everyone! Time for birthday cake!"

Everybody headed towards the dining room. Martha put Chloe down and she hurried towards Donna. Donna knelt down.

"Now, you, don't get any ideas with your birthday wish. No growing up too fast on me." Donna smiled. "I'm your mummy and it's my job to take care of you and I like my job. The best bit of my job is letting my babies know how wonderful they are and you are wonderful."

"Zara..." Chloe started.

"Oi, you're your own person, miss. I don't love all my babies because you're the same. I love you because well, you're mine and because you're different. Got that?"

"Yes."

Donna kissed her on the cheek. "Come on. Let's get your birthday cake."

With that, Chloe took her mother's hand and walked with her into the dining room where her family and friends eagerly awaited her.

Because it was all about her right now.


End file.
